Ring/nail test

[Echo Acres]

I know it has been on here before. I wrote it down last year and tried it for the first time. But I think I wrote it down wrong. So if someone could please remind me, the circle means....and a straight lines means.....?

I tried it on our mare today... it was a straight line

 

[Ridgerunner]

It's a boy!

Hope that's what you're hoping for! It was 5 for 5 for me this year! It said 4 girls and a boy, and that's exactly what I got!

Melba

 

[Echo Acres]

Thanks. She had a filly this year, so we don't mind if she has a colt. I always like to show a good gelding!

Well last year I tried this for the first time. It said 1 colt, 1 filly. But I thought our mini mare was having the colt and the quarter horse mare was having the filly. It was the other way around. So I am thinking I wrote it down wrong. That is why I wanted to double check.

Okay, I really put it to the test tonight. We got a miniature donkey this fall. We were told that she was exposed to a stallion, but not to expect her to be bred because she has been in with a jack and another stallion several different years and never came in foal. So I tested her tonight. At first I got nothing. Then I checked to find where her udder was and moved it. After a slight adjustment I got it to move. I believe a line. Before it started to move I seen the end of the tail tip up. So I am wondering, is she actually bred, or could it be static electricity?

It would be neat if she really was bred, but I would feel bad as they have exposed her for 5 or 6 years and then we get her out of the goodness of thier heart and she had a baby.

 

[kimie28]

It worked for me last year. It said 2 boys and 1 girl. The 2 boys were boys and the mare that said girl did not foal (absorb or ?? as she was ultrasounded pregnant early) so, I wonder if it said girl because it picked up the mare herself???? Will be interesting to see what I get this next year!

I used to breed birds and chickens years ago and learned of this technique from other bird breeders. It was correct on average over 90% of the time!

 

[ClickMini]

OK, how do you perform the ring test???

 

[weerunner]

You put a ring (like a wedding band) or a non-galvanized nail on a string, or you can use a horses tail hair like I do. You suspend it about 4-6 inches above the mares hips (approximately where the foal would be). Hold it very steady and wait patiently. If the ring/nail doesn't move at all the mare is open (not pregnant). If the ring swings back and forth in a straight line, it's a colt. It is swings in a circular motion, it's a filly.

I've not had great luck with this method, but I was using my diamond engagement ring and was told later that it should have been a ring with no stones in it, so maybe that was the problem.

Tried it again this year and got two colts and a filly, I'll know in April whether or not it worked for me this year.

It's a fun way to pass some time in the dead of winter if nothing else.

weerunner

 

[Lucky-C-Acres-Minis]

We do it every year on our girls out of fun too and so far has been right every year..

We've got 5 mares exposed (4 of which are confirmed in foal!) and the nail test readings say 3 fillies and 2 colts, which I am very happy about, especially if they are right on like before (after having mostly boys the past 3 years!) Will know starting in late April/May/June

I use a nail on a string instead of a ring/string..

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

I use a metal washer on a string and last year (first year I did it) it said one colt one filly.

Guess what I got one colt and one filly but.... I got the colt from the mare that tested for a filly and the filly from the mare that was supposed to have a colt. lol So this year I only bred one mare and I didn't/don't believe she took but I did the test at the beginning of November and after some hesitation it swung in a circle which should mean she IS bred and carrying a filly.

We'll see in June I guess.

 

[PaintNminis]

I did the Ring test last year and it was Right on

it said Filly and thats what got

I Ring Tested 2 of my Bred Mares yesterday

and it said Sapphire will have a Filly

Will see come May/June to see if it is Right lol

and I did the test on Jazz too it said she was Open

gave the same Results as the mare I tested whom I know is Open lol

 

[Echo Acres]

I too have heard you need to have a gold ring with NO stone in it. I have used a nail and a string from my feed bags to do it both years. You want to make sure it is a thin string, not a twine string.

I found that you have to have the right spot, or you will get nothing. I have had the most luck right above the udder. On my donkey this seemed a little further back, than my mini mare. With her the end of the nail tipped up slightly and then started to swing. Have any of you had this happen? I am very hesitant about her being bred as she has been exposed to a jack, and I believe 3 different stallions over the past 5 or 6 years and never taken. It did say she was bred, we will have to see. She was with the stallion from May 15th to September 1st so we will have to wait and see.

I see one other person had the same thing happen as me. I had it backwards with what mare was going to have a filly and colt. I thought I wrote it down wrong, maybe not.

I guess we will all have to patiently wait till this spring to find out.

 

[Crabby-Chicken]

I tried since I actually have babies coming!!!! This is the third year with no babies. So we are so excited. The ring test said my two are having fillies, and my maybe mare it still says girl. So I hope it is right. I have had great luck with it.

 

[ClickMini]

I am going to try again this week with a lighter band. I was using a big nut, but I will say that every single time I did Stepper it hesitated for about 10 seconds, then strongly started going in circles. Let's hope another FILLY for Stepper! Actually I also don't mind if it is a colt, but I have the ingredients to repeat the breeding so that's fine. I did the test on Flirt and as usual with her, it was quite a bit more stubborn. I THINK colt. That will be fine, I bred her to an outside stallion so I will be happy either way.

Fun stuff!

 

[Leeana]

Oh giving this a try this evening !!

Thank you for the reminder, i had the mares read back in september but this be neat.

 

[BM Miniatures]

just did it on 2 of my confirmed infoal mares who are due august/september 2009, both went in circles!! They are both Maidens so looks like we may have 2 fillies on the way!

 

[Leeana]

Does anyone know the story behind this, if there are any facts as to how this little thing came to be or if someone just made this up to keep us mare owners busy?

 

[Echo Acres]

I would like to know as well. My farrier was out on Tuesday and this is when we tried it on our mare. He said he could never get it to work. He was amazed to watch when I did it and it worked right a way. I should have had him try it.

He also told me a way he has heard. You take a twine string with a knot in it and wrap it snug (not too tight) around your mare right behind her front legs. Place your fingers where they touch, one on the knot and one on the other end where it comes together. Then slide it back and try it right in front of the hind legs. If the knot and where you had your fingers touches or overlaps, your mare is open. If they do not touch then she is bred. We did try this on our filly we know is not bred and our bred mare. It was right.

So I decided to try it on our mini donkey. It says she is bred, but it was close about an inch apart at the most.

Sure would be interesting to hear the background behind these.

 

[Leeana]

Okay, tried the test this evening, i used a nail. I brought them all in the barn and tied them, so no wind could move the nail, and just to be sure, i still infront of the way the wind would have blown incase any got in. Just for good meausres, i also just held the nail on the string out (not over a horse) just to make sure i was holding it steady and for atleast a minute no movement so i was very steady. Here are the results i got..

Candy - No movement of the nail = Open (Which is CORRECT as i had her palpated last week, so totally correct on her)

Dream - Very prominent circle, tested her two times and both resulted in strong circles. Took about 10 seconds or so, but a very strong circle. FILLY

Benita - Very strong circle, i tested her two times and both gave me very strong circles. FILLY

Angel - Straight back and forth line. COLT

 

[Ashley]

I dont go by boy/girl as its rarely right for me. I have learned my mares tend to be boy factories. However it has never been wrong on wether or not they are bred.

 

[minie812]

Hubby and I did the ring test on our mares (I did it on Gracie last year and it said filly) and we had Tango. So we thought it would be fun to try it again this year so we will see if it is right for 2009. I posted it on our site so we shall see if we have the 2 colts and the four fillies for 2009.

 

[barnbum]

I tried it this week-with my husband's wedding band and some green embroidery thread.

According to the movement, Chloe will have the first colt born to Little Church Minis, and Rosie has a sister on the way.

There was no movement for several seconds, then Chloe's went in a line. Once it was in a circular motion on Gypsy--not a strong circle, but more so than Chloe--Chloe walked by so I put it over her again just for fun and it went right back into a straight line. Interesting.